What would be here at Hardwood Houdini if we didn’t think long-term after acquiring an expiring contract. When the Boston Celtics landed Evan Fournier for two second-round picks during yesterday’s trade deadline, they created a similar situation to the one they had just gotten themselves out of.
The 2019-20 season was all about Gordon Hayward’s player option for the current year. He ended up declining that option and finding a new home in free agency, leaving Danny Ainge with little else besides a pretty sizeable traded player exception.
Fans were dreaming big about the possibilities that TPE could bring to the table. Between potential starters/borderline stars like Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon on the block, there were plenty of headline names the Cs were in play for.
They ended up landing Fournier, though, in a string of fairly minor moves in the grand scheme of the deadline.
Fournier brings the potential of being an offensive-minded starter or a spark-plug sixth man. He also brings the potential of being flipped in the summer during free agency in a sign-and-trade much in the vein of Hayward’s Hornets union last November.
Brian Robb, masslive’s Boston Celtics beat reporter, shared that spicy nugget on Twitter following the deal:
Other element with Evan Fournier addition: If Celtics don't re-sign him this offseason, they will have the ability to create...you guessed it...another sizable TPE in a sign-and-trade since they get his Bird Rights as part of the deal.
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) March 25, 2021
Today, Hardwood Houdini takes a look at two teams that can potentially land Fournier as a free agent in a sign-and-trade: